Bowling game target



Feb.

Filed Aug.

1S? c. R. GRQFF BOWLING GAME TARGET 9, 1965 2 Sheets-#Sheet l Beh, 28, 1967 Filed Aug. 9. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. R. GROFF 3,306,614-v BOWLING GAME TARGET 3,306,614 BOWLING GAME TARGET Christian R. Grolf, 2013 Old Philadelphia Pike, East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pa. 17602 Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,358 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-41) This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 388,491, liled August 10, 1964, and now Patent No. 3,227,448.

This invention relates to a bowling game target, and more particularly a bowling target which can be reset from the point at which the bowler is located or from a remote area, and also one which can be reset by a subsequent roll of the ball.

It is `an object of this invention to provide a device in which the bowling pins can be reset manually by merely pulling a rope attached to a hinge portion of the upright support permitting the pins to be restored to their original positions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bowling target in which the pins are upset on one roll of the ball and can be reset upon a second roll of the ball.

A still further object is to provide a device which can be readily put in position in a recreation room or outdoor area with ease and can be readily relocated if desired.

In order that the device of this invention may be more readily understood, it will be described in connection with the attached drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view showing the pins in their original position in solid lines and in the broken lines the position they assume after one roll of the ball, ready for a second roll to reset the pins.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a framework 2 comprising sides 3 and inclined bottom 4, a back 5 and a top 6. This framework forms a receptacle to receive the ball which enters the front. The arrangement is such that the ball cannot leave the receptacle other than by deflection caused by the bottom 4, back 5 and top 6 so that the balls direction of travel is reversed returning it to the player positioned in front of the device. The framework 2 can be placed on any relatively at surface such as the oor of a game room or a lawn, etc. The sides 3 of the framework are secured to uprights 7 positioned close to the front of the framework 2. Each of the uprights 7 carries a trapezoidal shaped block 8 at the top thereof.

The uprights 7 are arranged at an acute angle with respect to the lower edge of the side 3 and the trapezoidal block 8 has one side disposed at the same angle as the upright 7, and the other side is vertical and perpendicular to the bottom edge of the side 3. An element 9 is hingedly attached to the block by a hinge 10.

Spanning the distance ybetween the two uprights 7 across the entrance to the framework 2 are two cylindrical rods 11 and 12. Because of the angle of inclination of the uprights 7, the plane formed by these two rods is at the same angle as the angle of inclination of the uprights 7. The elements 9 also are provided with two cylindrical rods 13 and 14 spanning the opening vto the framework. The rods 13 and 14 are on a slightly inclined plane but not as pronounced as the inclined plane of the rods 11 and 12.

The top cylindrical rod 14 carried by the element 9 and the bottom cylindrical rod 11 carried by the uprights 7 are provided with a plurality of rotatable pins. Those provided on the rod 11 are designated by the numeral 15 and r,/nited States Patent O 3 ,306,6 14 Patented F eb. 28, 1967 Ace those carried by the rod 14 are designated by the numeral 16.

The pins 15 are suspended on the rod 11 in such manner that the ends of the pins are in close proximity to the floor so that the distance from the end of the pin to the door is less than the diameter of the ball utilized to play the game.

The pins 16 are suspended on the rod 14 in such manner that the lower ends thereof are within the are inscribed by the pins 15 as they are rotated about the rod 11. The pins 16 preferably have holes 17 drilled in the lower portion thereof to decrease the weight while at the same time permitting them to hang in the proper downward position.

The cylindrical rod 12 carries a plurality of carn shaped members 18. The members 18 are triangular in shape having one ilat side 19 and two curved sides 20 forming a point 21. The members 18 are eccentrically mounted on the rod 12 so that the points 21 are always down and the ilat surfaces 19 are up. The positioning of the elements 18 is such that the ends 21 are within the arc inscribed by the pins 15 as they rotate around the rod 11. The number of pins 15, pins 16 and elements 18 is the same. In the embodiment here illustrated this is 3. The pins 15 and 16 as well as the elements 18 are slidable along the rods 11, 14 and 12 and are in alignment with each other when the game is started.

In the operation of the device, the ball is rolled along the floor or ground and strikes the end of one of the pins 15 causing it to rotate about the rod 11 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. As the pin 15 moves through degrees it strikes the point 21 of the element 18 causing it to spin on the rod 12. Continuing on its rotary path the pin 15 next strikes the tip of pin 16 causing it to rotate in a clockwise direction. The pin 15 then comes to rest on the rod 13 after having moved through approximately 270 degrees of a circle. The pin 16 rotates through approximately 270 degrees and strikes the spinning element 18. Because of the eccentric mounting of the element 18 the pin 16 causes it to stop spinning with the point 21 down so that the pin 16 rests on the at side 19 of the element 18.

The overlap of the pin 16 on the dat surface 19 is greater than the overlap of the pin 15 on the rod 13. Also the pin 16 is located closer to'the hinge 10. A line 22 is attached to the rod 13. A slight force exerted on the line moves the rod 13 to the left in FIGURE 2 a distance to move it out of engagement with the pin 15 and the pin drops down to its original position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, while the pin 16 remains in engagement with the surface 19 on element 18.

On another roll of the b-all the pin 15 is again rotated in a counterclockwise direction into engagement with the point 21 of element 18. This spins the element 18 in a clockwise direction on the rod 12 causing the point 21 to strike the pin 16 rotating it in a counterclockwise direction to its original position shown in solid lines in FIG- URE 2.

If the ball misses the pin 15, an increased amount of force on the line 22 will move the rod 14 and the pins 16 far enough to the left to free the pin 16 from its engagement with the at surface 19 and the pin 16 continues its clockwise rotation to assume the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2.

In the operation of the game, the device here illustrated and described is placed ou a relatively level surface with the pins 15 suspended in their vertical position and positioned lengthwise on the rod 11 so that certain of the pins 16 on the top rod 14 are in alignment with pins or groups of pins 15 on the bottom rod 11. Also the elements 18 on rod 12 are also in alignment with the pins 15 and 16. The player assumes a position a predetermined distance from the device and rolls a ball along the level surface. The ball is of a diameter greater than the distance between the lower extremity of the lower pins and the level surface. If the ball strikes one of the pins 15 it will rotate the pi-n causing it to strike the element 18 and the pin 16 causing the pin 16 to rotate until it engages the flat surface 19 `of the spinning element 18. The pin 15 is then restored to its original position while the pin 16 remains in engagement with the element 18. When the pin 15 is again struck, it rotates into engagement with the tip of element 18 causing it to rotate and rotate the pin 16 to its original position.

I claim:

1. A bowling game target, the elements comprising -a framework having sides, a back, a top, `an inclined floor and an open front, four rods spanning the horizontal distance between the sides across the open front, a pair of uprights mounted on `said sides in proximity to the front, hinged members depending from the top of said uprights, two of said rods being mounted on said uprights and two of said rods being mounted on said depending hinged members, the two rods on the uprights being on substantially the same vertical plane and the two rods carried on the depending hinged portion being on substantially the same vertical plane, the two top rods being on substantially the same horizontal plane and the two bottom rods being on substantially the same horizontal plane, two

of said rods disposed in diagonal relationship with one another being provided with a plurality of rotatable pins, the other top rod being provided with a plurality of eccentrically mounted rotatable elements having a point on one side and a flat surface on the opposite side, said elements being mounted on the rod in such manner that the points hang downwardly, said pins being mounted on said rods for rotation thereon and being suspended substantially vertically, the length of said pins being greater than the horizontal distance between adjacent rods on the same horizontal plane, the arrangement being such that the arc inscribed by the pins carried on the lower rod intersects the arc of the pins carried on the top rod and the points on the elements carried on the other top rod.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1 in which the arc through which the pins can rotate is greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,108 ll/l9l9 Lasares 273-41 1,622,981 3/1927 Tanaka 273-41 2,141,958 12/1938 Ruberti 273--127 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Prmaly Examiner. ANTON o. oECHsLE, Examiner. 

1. A BOWLING GAME TARGET, THE ELEMENTS COMPRISING A FRAMEWORK HAVING SIDES, A BACK, A TOP, AN INCLINED FLOOR AND AN OPEN FRONT, FOUR RODS SPANNING THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SIDES ACROSS THE OPEN FRONT, A PAIR OF UPRIGHTS MOUNTED ON SAID SIDES IN PROXIMITY TO THE FRONT, HINGED MEMBERS DEPENDING FROM THE TOP OF SAID UPRIGHTS, TWO OF SAID RODS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID UPRIGHTS AND TWO OF SAID RODS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID DEPENDING HINGED MEMBERS, THE TWO RODS ON THE UPRIGHTS BEING ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE AND THE TWO RODS CARRIED ON THE DEPENDING HINGED PORTION BEING ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE, THE TWO TOP RODS BEING ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HORIZONTAL PLANE AND THE TWO BOTTOM RODS BEING ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HORIZONTAL PLANE, TWO OF SAID RODS DISPOSED IN DIAGONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE PINS, THE OTHER TOP ROD BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ECCENTRICALLY MOUNTED ROTATABLE ELEMENTS HAVING A POINT ON ONE SIDE AND A FLAT SURFACE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, SAID ELEMENTS BEING MOUNTED ON THE ROD IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE POINTS HANG DOWNWARDLY, SAID PINS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID RODS FOR ROTATION THEREON AND BEING SUSPENDED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY, THE LENGTH OF SAID PINS BEING GREATER THAN THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN ADJACENT RODS ON THE SAME HORIZONTAL PLANE, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT THE ARC INSCRIBED BY THE PINS CARRIED ON THE LOWER ROD INTERSECTS THE ARC OF THE PINS CARRIED ON THE TOP ROD AND THE POINTS ON THE ELEMENTS CARRIED ON THE OTHER TOP ROD. 